Formulation of lubricant products from various base stocks and other blend components has traditionally consisted of a trial and error process. Some modeling techniques are available that can offer predictions regarding the properties of a lubricant product based on the weight percentage of various components in a proposed product. However, actual industry practice still centers on testing of a variety of blends to determine the appropriate composition of a desired product.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,684,933 provides an example of a method for predicting the properties of a finished lubricant product based on the blend components used to formulate the product. Various types of model functions are used to predict a variety of properties for a lubricant product based on the properties of the blend components. This can allow for selection of blend components that reduce or minimize the cost of producing the desired lubricant product.